Precision
by RandomChameleon
Summary: Sometimes you don't need an army. Sometimes all you need is one small group, just one assassin, to end a war. And with this war, all that's needed is the right man in the right place- they just have to get him there. While Chrom desperately tries to hold off Valm's attempts to invade, his faithful tactician Kit undertakes a daring mission- to assassinate Walhart himself.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello!**

 **If you've never read one of my fics before- hi! Good to see you, new person! If you're here because you read Kit's Saga or A Pair of Queens... Hey, how you doing?**

 **I'm pretty excited for this fic, so I'm just going to let you read on. Follow and favourite if you like what I'm doing here, or review and tell me what you think.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 1

The arrow thudded into the target, quivering there for a second. Kit lowered the bow, staring at where the arrow hit. He sighed. Still not as good as Virion, despite the man's efforts to teach him. He headed inside, hanging the bow on its hook.

Inside, Lissa sat with their baby son Owain cradled in her arms. She looked up as Kit walked in.

"Really, Kit." She scolded, but there was no anger. "You don't need to practise your fighting every day."

"Chrom did ask me to, dear." Kit held up his hands placatingly. "I can't argue with the Exalt, even if he is my brother-in-law. He already had a training groud set up in the grounds when he gave us this manor."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "I wish Chrom wouldn't make you do this."

"It's not just me, he's asked a few of the other Shepherds to train as well." Kit replied. "And it's not as if I need to work- Chrom's been giving us money since the wedding."

"I still feel like the medals were a bit much, though." Lissa remarked. Kit looked over at the two medals, presented to them by a beaming Chrom for the success of Gangrel's assassination. "The rest of the Shepherds are just as brave as us."

Kit sighed. "I know, but Chrom looked so proud. I couldn't object." He smiled again. "Enough about that. How is my boy?" Owain's tiny face grinned up at him as Kit looked.

"Fine." Lissa smiled. "Thankfully that cold he had cleared up fast."

"With the best healer in Ylisse looking after him, he'll be fighting fit in no time whatever he gets sick, I'm sure." Kit grinned.

Three sharp raps rang out against the door. Both Kit and Lissa turned their heads to look, and Kit started to head towards the door, gesturing for Lissa to sit down. Still with Owain in her arms, the healer settled back onto the couch.

Kit opened the door to see a guard in the royal uniform. His eyes widened.

"Is Chrom alright?" The tactician asked.

"Exalt Chrom is perfectly fine, but requests your presence at the castle by noon tomorrow for an emergency meeting." The guard said, in the level tones of all guards. "He did not share the details with me, before you ask."

"An emergency meeting?" Lissa frowned as Kit returned. "I hope it's nothing to do with Plegia again."

Kit shrugged. "The messenger didn't give any details. Just that Chrom's summoned me for a meeting. I just hope it's nothing too serious..."

Usually, Ylisse's palace was a hive of activity- servants and butlers rushing around, fetching, carrying, cleaning. Today, however, the mood was solemn. Even as Kit walked in, his wife by his side, he could tell that something was wrong.

As Kit started to open the door, a shout made him turn around.

"Kit! Woo-hoo!"

An ecstatic Nowi crashed into him, flinging her arms around his waist and burying her face in his stomach. Smiling, Kit returned the hug, leaning down to drape his arms around the youthful manakete's shoulders.

"And Lissa too!" She yelled, embracing her in the same excited manner. Ricken appeared not long after, panting and out of breath from trying to keep up with Nowi.

"Oh, Kit... So Chrom invited... You here too?" He managed between gasps.

"I could say the same to you." Kit smirked. "What have you two been doing with yourselves? I've not heard from you since the wedding!"

"Studying mostly. I made it into the Mages' University!" The young wizard announced. I moved into... What did they call it... Student accommodation, I think. It's just a tiny little house, but it's cosy."

Kit smiled at his friend. He'd heard of the University- it was every mage's dream to study their craft there. For a long time, he'd known that it was Ricken's highest ambition.

"What about Nowi?" He asked.

"We live together." Ricken replied, blushing slightly. "I- Uh... It's not-"

Kit laughed. "It's fine. Really." He turned towards the castle, his smile turning into a grimace. "I just wonder why Chrom would have called you too..."

Chrom's expression was grim. Even as more of the Shepherds arrived- Cordelia, Lon'qu, Gaius, Panne, Olivia- his face hardly moved.

"Shepherds, it is my pleasure to see you again." He announced finally. "While I know that this should be a joyous occasion, I bring grave news."

Kit stiffened. This was serious.

"The nation of Valm has made an attack on Ylisse. We have heard that a man named Walhart the Conqueror now owns large parts of the western continent, and wishes to take our lands too." The others gasped at this news.

"Wait... They have already attacked?" Kit asked. "Was anyone...?"

"One sailor was murdered by them for objecting." Chrom said gravely. "But no Shepherds or Ylissean soldiers were killed."

The tactician breathed a sigh of relief, mixed with grief at an innocent man's death.

"So... Why have we been called here?" Asked Lissa, fearing that she already knew the answer. Worming her hand into her husband's for comfort, she repeated: "Chrom?"

The Exalt paused a moment before replying. "The current plan is to have the Ylissean army, and most of the Shepherds, defend the country from invaders. We may also ask Ferox and Plegia for aid. But you..." He looked around at the assembled Shepherds. "You have a special mission. This small group will be sent to Valm, and will..." He took a deep breath. "You will assassinate Walhart the Conqueror himself."

To everyone's surprise, Kit leaned back and nodded.

"It makes perfect tactical sense. Send one small team to remove the leader of their army, and it will all crumble around them."

"But- wait-" Lissa protested. "We... We have a family! What about the rest of us? We can't just up and leave!"

Chrom raised a hand, gently cutting off her arguments. "I know. Believe me, this was not an easy choice to make." His voice broke, just slightly. "Do you think I want to start a war so soon after my daughter was born? That is why I ask you- No, I beg of you- to end this quickly."

Looking around at the faces of his team, Kit reached a decision.

"We accept the mission."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello!**

 **Just so you know, I'm going to do my best to make sure that chapters of this are uploaded every week, either Saturday or Sunday. If you like this fic, then check out my other one- A Pair of Queens. It's less of a story, more a collection of one-shots, but have a look. Special thanks to Potatoman098 for following and favouriting, and Gunlord500 for reviewing.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 2

The blade settled into its sheath with a satisfying click. Kit loaded the sword onto the cart, and turned to the rest of the gear he and Lissa were bringing.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here?" He aksed his wife. "To take care of Owain?"

"You'd better not be calling me delicate!" The blonde replied, smiling.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Kit returned the grin.

"A wet nurse is going to take care of him and Lucina while we're gone." She reassured him. "He's going to be fine."

With the last thing loaded onto the cart, Kit clambered onto the front, grabbing the reins. Lissa sat beside him, Owain cradled in her arms, making contented noises as he slept. With one flick of the reins, the horses began to head slowly down the road to Ylisstol.

The palace was a hive of activity. Usually, it would be bustling with people working in the castle, delivering messages, polishing, dusting, and the millions of little chores that came with the grand palace.

Today, though, the mood was very different. Now, the people who ran around the place were soldiers. It was not messages being delivered, but weapons and armour.

When Kit arrived, he found Gaius and Panne already waiting at the meeting point. He felt a pang of sympathy for them. They were newly wed, and had only just returned from their honeymoon when news of the war had broken out. Despite this, the two still looked happy with each other's company.

It wasn't long before the rest of them arrived. Chrom noticed that all of them were there, and hurriedly made his way over to them, followed by Frederick. The knight was more armoured than ever- plate mail covered his entire body and horse, gleaming gold and blue in the sunlight.

"Thank you. All of you." The Exalt began. "I will forever be grateful that you are all willing to risk your lives for this. I am sorry that I can't say more, but you need to be on your way. So good luck- and Godspeed."

The assembled Shepherds all shook Chrom's hand firmly, exchanging a solemn farewell before heading to the docks. Sumia gave them all a hug before they left, tearful as they left.

"Just come back alive!" She yelled to them.

"Of course!" Lissa called back, holding up her healing staff. "I won't let anyone die!"

As they headed for the docks all seated in a collection of carts and carriages holding them and their weapons, a sudden silence descended. The enormity of what they were about to undertake seemed to strike all at once. They all steeled their nerves and faced ahead. There could be no turning back now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello!**

 **First of all- I'm so sorry that I didn't put this chapter up last week. A combination of college, writing longer chapters and tiredness made this one pretty hard to write. For those of you who are waiting, I promise that this is the last slow chapter- the action will be starting next week! Hope you're all looking forward to that. Special thanks to Potatoman083 for reviewing, Devildomvoyeur for following, kaminokaze no arashi for following, and .75 for following, favouriting and reviewing.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 3

Maribelle was there to meet them at the docks. She led them to the ship- a sleek vessel, designed to move quickly. As the others walked on, she turned to Lissa.

"Take care of yourself out there, okay?" She fretted. "Promise me."

"I promise I'll come back." Lissa replied solemnly. Smiling again, she returned Maribelle's tight embrace.

The troubador looked round at Kit, resting her hands on his shoulders. She had disliked him at first- and for a while after- but warmed to him after he became close with Lissa. By now, she was a strong friend to both of them.

"You too." She began. "Don't get yourself hurt out there."

"I promise." The tactician replied. "I'll take care of Lissa as well."

"Oh, please." His wife laughed. "You know I'll be the one putting you back together after you 'heroically' get an axe to the face. Again."

Kit grimaced. "It wasn't as bad as you make it sound. It wasn't a deep cut. I'm still sure I could have carried on fighting."

Maribelle laughed at their teasing. She hugged Lissa again, and stood at the edge of the harbour as they left, waving until the tactician and his wife were tiny, pale specks in the distance, only visible against the darker wood of the ship.

Cordelia closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. A dreamy smile crept over her face as the smell of the sea air filled her lungs. She was panicking about their mission- everyone was- but, for now, she could relax. Her husband, Lon'qu, stood close to her, his hand clasped around hers, gazing out to sea.

After a few moments of reverie, she felt her husband squeeze her hand. She turned to face him, an unusual expression of worry on his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "You've been pretty tense lately."

"It's just... This all reminds me of two years ago." Cordelia admitted. "I... I don't want anyone to get hurt. Especially Ricken... He's so young..."

"I know." Lon'qu replied. "But Ricken has a dragon protecting him." He smiled slightly. "I'm not sure I can top that."

The pegasus knight laughed. "Oh, please. I've seen you fight. You or a dragon? Sounds close to me."

He laughed, his deep, booming chuckle echoing in the stillness of the air. He laughed too rarely- Cordelia loved it when she could make him. Spontaneously, she grabbed him around the waist and pulled him to her, resting her head on his chest. She could feel every laugh reverberating around there.

Her husband returned the embrace, wrapping muscled arms around her shoulders. They stood there for a long time, Lon'qu unwilling to spoil the moment by admitting he was scared as well. Scared of losing her.

Panne sighed happily, relaxing for the first time since the news of the war. Her husband could always cheer her up when everything seemed bleak. His attitude was infectious.

Gaius sat down next to her, offering a chunk of fudge pulled from some secret stash. She took it, eating it in one bite. It was delicious.

"You didn't look so great." He explained. "Thought a bit of sugar might perk ya up, Whiskers."

The nickname used to annoy her, but she knew he meant it affectionately.

"Ya worried?" He continued. "I'll be there for you. The whole time."

"It's not me I'm worried about. I'm concerned for you, dear. You'll be going on these dangerous missions... Alone." Panne almost whispered.

"Ah, the downside of being stealthy." Gaius grimaced. "I get all the spying done." He turned to his wife. "Don't worry, I'm good. I'm more worried about you, babe. You gonna be okay when I'm not watching your back?"

"I'll be just fine." She assured him. "The others can watch my back, and I can fight."

He laughed suddenly.

"Look at us. We're both just frettin' about each other. I swear, everyone's been pretty jumpy since all this started."

Panne smiled, slowly wrapping her arms around him.

"Maybe I'm just worrying too much. Just don't... Do anything stupid on a mission. Promise?"

Gaius leaned in close and kissed her.

"I promise."

Slowly, uncertainly, Kit sank down onto the hammock.

"Jeez!" Lissa laughed. "You don't need to panic! It's just a bed, honestly."

"It feels so unstable. I don't think I like it." He replied, still trying to get comfortable.

Still stifling giggles behind her hand, his wife dropped into the hammock easily. Within seconds, she was comfortable.

"You're the only person on the ship who doesn't even seem nervous, you know." Kit said softly. "How do you do it?"

"I'm not entirely carefree, you know." The cleric replied. "It's just... I feel better than last time. Because now I can fight! I can really make a difference."

"If all goes well, that won't be necessary."

"Huh?" Lissa looked over at him. Noticing his expression, she smiled. "What are you planning, with that smirk of yours?"

Kit laughed. "Now why would you think I was planning something?" He asked innocently.

"You're always planning something. It's what you do."

"It's not much yet, but it's the start of an idea. What if we could make it to Walhart's palace without a single direct confrontation?" The Tactician of Ylisse smiled deviously.

"And how would we do that?" Lissa asked, grinning widely. She loved to see him like this. He was in his element.

"Disguise. Stealth. Trickery. And if all else fails, lying."

"Wow." She looked over at her husband. "This plan sounds crazy." Leaning over, she managed to kiss him from her hammock. "I like it already."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello!**

 **Sorry for another late upload! Once again, longer chapters take more time than I expected to write. Tell me what you think of this chapter, as it's the first real 'action' chapter in the fic. I did promise that this would be a fast-paced chapter, so tell me if I pulled it off. Special thanks to Dr-J33 for following, and Muggzy for following, favouriting, reviewing- and even reviewing Kit's Saga!**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 4

Finally, after many long, slow days with smooth water stretching out for days around them, Valm was sighted. The group of Shepherds assembled on the deck of the ship, staring at the massive land before them.

As the continent became clearer and clearer, Kit became aware of a sound. Wingbeats. He turned, and saw a pigeon- one of Virion's. Holding out his hand, he gently coaxed it closer. It landed, presenting its foot. A tiny scroll with the seal of the Exalt delicately stamped on was tied to it.

He untied the message, and flicked it open. The writing was tiny, but he could still make it out.

'Negotiations with Plegia and Ferox begin today. I am optimistic regarding the talks with Flavia, but uncertain of Plegia's new monarch. Send information regarding your progress when you are able.

-Chrom'

Kit made a mental note to reply when they reached the first safe point on Valm. For now, he shifted the pigeon onto his shoulder.

They slid into the docks without incident. Lissa gave a hurried farewell to the captain, and all of them disembarked.

As soon as they stepped onto the docks, something felt wrong. The entire place felt hostile, alien. They were in enemy territory.

Suddenly, a shout. A cry for help. As one, the group of Shepherds turned towards it.

A group of Valmese soldiers were chasing a woman. Judging by her athletic moves, she was no ordinary villager. She sprinted and dodged, but couldn't fight back- she was unarmed.

Despite the fact she was alone, a large number of soldiers chased her. Kit's mouth tightened in a scowl.

"After her! Faster, damn you!" One of the soldiers- presumably the commander- yelled. "She's a dangerous agent of the rebellion!"

Lon'qu turned to Kit. "Did he say... Rebellion?"

"And if there is a resistance group..." The tactician calculated. His group was talented- no-one could argue with that. But with more fighters, much more was possible, especially if their numbers were large. "We need to save her, and find out about this rebellion."

"Agreed." Cordelia was already on her pegasus, taking off. Her husband sprinted to keep up with her on the ground as she flew. On Kit's command, the others leapt into action.

The five men surrounded her. Glaring at them defiantly, even in this desperate situation, she stood her ground. Lissa was impressed at her courage- she didn't even have a weapon!

As the first one raised his spear, Lon'qu crashed into him. He spun angrily, eyes widening as he noticed the myrmidon's sword.

"A warrior..." The Valmese soldier breathed. "Fine!" He stepped forwards to stab him, but Cordelia's lance smashed into him, dropping from a dive. The soldier was sent flying, the snap of bones echoing across the suddenly still, empty docks.

The rest of the soldiers retreated, seeing the rest of the fighters draw close. Their leader snarled, lifting his massive axe in two hands. With only a few quick hand gestures, Kit signalled where each pair should go.

On one unspoken signal, the Shepherds moved towards the enemy.

Kit sized up their leader, analysing every detail of his stance, his armour, his weapon. He'd tried to train this skill over the two years, but it still took a second before he could felt the familiar sensation of time slowing almost to a stop.

Incredibly strong armour. Looks very thick. Swords and bows will be no good here. Axe. Large and heavy, so probably very slow swing. Should be easy to dodge. Good. Aggressive stance. Going on the offensive. Predictable.

Kit saw what he had to do. Time returned to its original speed. The commander, as predicted, stepped forward, bringing his axe round in a deadly arc.

By the time he'd started to swing, the tactician was already dodging, ducking low to avoid it. Quickly, he drew his sword and flung it forwards, directly at the man's face. He dodged, moving his head to the side, but unbalanced doing so. As he staggered half a step, his heavy armour causing even that simple movement to almost drag him down, Kit gestured quickly to Lissa. She understood immediately.

A ball of fire formed in her outstretched palm, and scythed towards the commander. He barely had time to raise his arm in a futile block before he was blasted off his feet, armour still red hot and melting the cobbles around him.

Before Kit could stand, another one of the soldiers leapt at him, sword in hand. Enraged by his commander's death, he brought the blade down. The cyan-haired man barely blocked, and the impact flung him on his back on the cobbles. Again and again the soldier hacked at him, clumsy swings hitting the cobble or his enemy's sword.

He stole a glance at Lissa, who was fending off one of the enemy mages. She couldn't help him. Just as Kit began to feel treacherous weakness creeping up his arm, the mad slashing stopped. Gaius stood over him triumphantly, the soldier's body sliding from his sword onto the ground, a crimson trail tracing between the cobbles around it.

"You owe me one now, Bubbles." The thief smirked, holding his hand out. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

The tactician grasped his hand, hauling himself to his feet. He turned to Lissa, just in time to see her blow the mage away with a wave of flames conjured with a dramatic sweep of her arm.

"Sure. I'll buy you some cupcakes in the next village we come to." Kit returned Gaius' smile.

"You'd better remember."

The woman introduced herself as Say'ri, princess of Chon'sin and leader of the resistance against Walhart.

"There's a real resistance againt Walhart?" Olivia asked, astonished. "I thought he'd already taken Valm..."

"Aye, officially." Say'ri replied sadly. "But there are those who believe him to be a cruel leader. I have simply united them."

"Could we... Help you?" Kit asked tentatively. Having this resistance on their side would be a huge benefit.

"Of course." The Chon'sin woman replied. "I will take you to see the Resistance."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello!**

 **Sorry it's taken so long! I'm so sorry! Everything got really hectic and busy over December and Christmas, so sitting down and writing a long chapter became almost impossible. Don't worry though- part of my New Year's Resolutions is to get more serious with all my hobbies, including writing this. I'm going to do whatever I can to have one chapter a week uploaded! Special thanks to Kit-Cat Star for reviewing and following.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 5

Tents stretched out in every direction, as far as the eye could see. The dappled greens and browns of the fabric blended with the hills and trees all around them, making the entire camp almost invisible. Despite the devotion to camouflage, a flag still stood defiantly in the centre. A green flag, as high as the treetops, marked with the design of a mighty tree, its branches reaching across the entire flag.

Kit could only stare at the scale of the camp.

Even though the entire base seemed to melt into its surroundings, there were still more tents than he could count.

"Tell me- what are a group of Ylisseans doing getting mixed up in our civil war?" Say'ri asked as she led the group through the sprawling camp.

"It's not just your civil war now." Kit replied sadly. "Walhart is trying to invade Ylisse. Prince Chrom sent us to assassinate Walhart while his army defends the country."

The Valmese woman's eyebrows raised. "He sent nine soldiers to fight Walhart?"

"When you put it like that, it does sound crazy." Cordelia laughed from atop her pegasus. "But, from what I hear, a direct confrontation was never the plan, right?"

"Right." Kit nodded to her. "Stealth is the only way to go."

Before anyone could say anything else, Say'ri gestured to one tent that was right next to the flag. She saluted the flag and entered, gesturing for the others to follow.

Inside, the tent was the same dappled green, casting blotches of shadow across everything. There were four people inside, all staring at the newcomers. The first was a thin, severe-looking man with short, spiked hair. He was completely clean-shaven, dressed in a similar kind of armour to Say'ri. A long, curved sword lay on the ground next to him, in a polished black sheath inlaid with golden designs.

Next to him, a giant of a man lounged. His head was completely shaved, but a goatee traced around his grinning mouth. Unlike the one next to him, he wore no armour, and had even chosen to eschew a shirt. The shining axe next to him stood out sharply against his dark skin.

Crouched at his side, a woman with cold blue eyes gave the group a calculating stare. A long, blonde ponytail trailed down her back, held in place with a clasp ornamented with a blue gemstone. Her bow was in her hand, though no quiver could be seen.

Finally, one woman lounged, seemingly unaware of the formality of the others. Unlike them, she had no weapon, and did not even seem like a fighter. Most of her was concealed by the cloak she had pulled around herself, so her green eyes and vibrant red hair were all that was visible. Despite this, Kit still felt that she was as much of a threat as the others.

Say'ri gestured to them.

"These people are the Four Generals... The four leaders of the Resistance. The man with the sword is Hattori- he is from my home country, Chon'sin. Next to him, the other man is Llumold. He hails from Regna Ferox- near Ylisse, is it not? The woman with the bow is Adeine of Rosanne. Finally..." An expression of distaste flashed across her features. "Vera. She is from Valm, abd was originally a part of Walhart's army."

Kit bowed. "It's an honour to meet you all. I hope we can work together to bring Walhart's mad conquest to an end."

"We can speak more tomorrow. It is getting late already." Hattori spoke. Like Say'ri, his voice was level and calm. "Say'ri, I am sure you can find tents for our guests?"

The Chon'sin woman bowed stiffly and led the Shepherds outside. She led them through the camp, down a makeshift road that wound and curled through the rows of tents. Eventually, they stopped.

"I am sure these are vacant." She waved an arm at them. "Please, get some rest."

The Shepherds nodded gratefully and headed to where they could finally get a good night's rest.

Inside, the tents were cramped and low. Lissa immediately threw herself onto the bed and stretched her limbs out, taking up the whole thing.

"Ahh... A real bed." She sighed contentedly. "Finally. I'm so tired of hammocks. Coming, dear?"

"Just a minute." Kit smiled. "I need to send a letter back to your brother."

He rolled the paper into a cylinder and tied it to the bird's leg. Outside, he raised his hand, coaxing it into the air. Almost immediately, there was a rush of wings, and the bird took off, flying as hard as it could for Ylisse.

Satisfied, the tactician headed back into the tent. He pulled off his coat, dropped his weapons on the ground, and slid into the bed with his wife.

"It's hardly a proper bed, is it?" Kit laughed. There was only just enough for the two of them.

"It's better than those hammocks." Lissa retorted, smiling. "They were awful. As for these..." Her grin turned flirtatious. "We'll just have to snuggle close, won't we?"

Laughing at his wife's transparency, Kit wrapped his arms around the blonde and held her close.

Comfortable, the two were quickly asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello!**

 **See? This chapter's up on time and everything! I'm trying something out with this chapter, so leave a review telling me your thoughts. My plan is to switch between Kit and Chrom's points of view, so tell me if I'm successful. Thanks a lot if you're still following this fic, and remember to follow or favourite if you're enjoying.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 6

Stillness reigned. Stars, tiny points of light, glittered against the black canvas of the sky. The moon glowed eerily, casting strange shadows against the ground. One miniscule, winged silhouette sped across the sky. In a controlled spiral, it descended.

Chrom saw the shape against the night sky, and held out his arm. Wincing as the bird's talons dug into his arm, he reached for the message tied to its leg.

'We have reached a safe area with only one confrontation so far. I doubt this situation will improve, as Walhart's forces are everywhere.'

The blue-haired Exalt frowned, worried, but continued:

'Happily, we have managed to ally ourselves with the Resistance, meaning that we have a larger number of people on our side than we first thought. Take care, and send word when you are able.

-Kit'

Sighing with relief, Chrom tucked the letter in his pocket. It sounded as if his tactician was having better luck than him. He'd sent messages to both Regna Ferox and Plegia, but had heard nothing from them for three days now. Ylisse had a powerful army, but he doubted if even they could stand up to the full force of Walhart's army more than a few times.

"You're up late." A voice came from behind him. He relaxed. Turning, he saw his wife, Sumia, stood there.

"Something bothering you?" She asked. "And... Why do you have a pigeon on your arm?"

He laughed at her baffled expression.

"Virion's idea." When she only looked more puzzled, he continued: "Kit's over in Valm, so we needed some way of keeping in contact. Virion had an idea to use his pigeons to send messages."

"Oh!" Sumia smiled. "So... How is he?"

Chrom grimaced. "Not good. Apparently, Walhart's forces are everywhere over there. He's found some kind of resistance group, though, so it sounded like he was going to be okay."

"Sounds like he's fine. But what about you?" The pegasus rider stepped closer, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist. "You're the leader. Can't have you collapsing from exhaustion, can we? Especially since..."

Smiling, Chrom returned the embrace. "Hey. Don't worry. We're all going to make it out of this."

The morning air was bitingly cold. Even as Chrom walked the barricades they had on the beach, he could see soldiers shivering, either from cold or trepidation. The tension was almost palpable. With Sumia by his side, he checked every last detail of the defences. Eventually, he found Frederick waiting for him.

"Milord." The knight saluted.

"How is everything, Frederick?" The Exalt asked.

"The barricades are set up, both on the beach and further in." The knight gestured to the rows of wooden barriers that stretched across the shore. "All are manned. Virion's archers and Miriel's mages are all in position to intercept and attack their ships. Kellam's knights are ready and waiting. The rest of the Shepherds' regiments are on standby for battle, with Libra and Maribelle in charge of clerics. Finally, of course, my personal force are waiting in the wings, milord."

Chrom stood silent for a moment, overwhelmed by Frederick's meticulous description of their defences.

"Well..." He started hesitantly. "As long as everything's in order. Now, I think I'll speak with the rest of the Shepherds. Thanks, Frederick."

The blue knight saluted as the Exalt left.

The Shepherds' barracks was seperate to the rest of the camp. As the Exalt's personal force, they often had such preferential treatment.

"Damn..." Sully cursed. "Been a long time since we had a real battle, ain't it?"

At her side, Stahl nodded. "I know. I... I just hope I'm not rusty by now. Anyone else?"

"Hell no!" The red-haired cavalier laughed. "I know I'm not outta practice!"

Chrom entered, Sumia still by his side. As one, the rest stood to attention, but he gestured for them to sit back down.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" The blue-haired man asked, exasperated.

"We merely thought it only well-mannered to be deferential towards our ruler." Miriel said from the corner.

"Nice to see you've not changed." Sumia smiled.

For the first time in a long time, Chrom felt like he was just captain of the Shepherds again. He missed those times dearly. Despite the importance of his duties as the Exalt, he sometimes felt as if he did more good in those simpler times.

"Hey, man!" Vaike shouted. "Don't space out here! What did ya come for, anyway?"

"For your information, Vaike, I'm here to check everything is in order." Chrom retorted. "Judging by your state, I'm not sure about it."

"I've got my axe, haven't I?" The berserker shrugged, ignorant even in the face of his lack of armour. The Shepherds laughed, and for a moment everything was peaceful.

Once again, Chrom stood, facing the sea. He'd never admit it to a soul, but he was terrified. This was the first time he, as an Exalt, would have to deal with a crisis. Everyone would remember this, and he could almost feel their eyes on him, watching, judging.

"You're worried about something." Sumia stated matter-of-factly, appearing at his shoulder. "I can tell, you know."

"Hah. You always can." The blue-haired man smiled slightly. "I know that everyone's going to remember this. My first real test as an Exalt. And... I don't know if I'm ready."

"Chrom..." The pegasus rider wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She'd never seen him like this. Afraid.

"And most of all..." He continued, his voice hoarse. "I don't want to be remembered like my father. I don't want the next Gangrel to be my fault."

"That won't happen!" Sumia exclaimed. Her shout snapped the Exalt out of his monologue. "You're a good person. I know it. More than anybody. I... I love you, Chrom. I'll always be there, making sure you never make the wrong decision."

The blue-haired man started to laugh, his shoulders shaking.

"At least you didn't try to punch me out of a dark mood this time." He chuckled. "Thank you, Sumia. You're always so strong, even when I fall apart. I love you, too."

Just then, a shout made them both turn, still in each others' arms.

"The Valmese! The Valmese fleet is coming!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello!**

 **This chapter's pretty long, so I hope you enjoy it! It's still from Chrom's point of view- tell me if you want more Chrom in a review. Special thanks to troublesome01 for following, Asleep12hrs for following, and storyteller1333 for following.**

 **As always, review, follow, and favourite if you like what I'm doing.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 7

"Ylisseans!" As his voice boomed out across the mass of soldiers, there was a sudden silence. All heads turned to the young Exalt. "I am amazed by each and every one of your bravery. Some of you have stood by my side before, as we faced Gangrel." He nodded at several familiar faces. "But all of you are soldiers of Ylisse. Today, our country faces a threat on a scale never seen before. Today, we see what Walhart's army is made of. Today _, will any of you dare to back down?"_

The men cheered loudly. Chrom allowed himself an inward smile. He may not have Kit's grasp of the intricacies of tactical manouvres, but he could make a group of soldiers hungry for battle.

They'd need it. The Valmese fleet was already on the horizon, and moving closer every second.

The Exalt began to organise his troops' position. Soldiers hurried everywhere- moving towards the ragged line of barricades on the beach, to points where they could easily launch arrows at the ships, to hospitals, ready to heal others.

As the Valmese warships moved closer, Chrom could see that they were full of soldiers. The hulking monstrosities inched slowly, deliberately, towards the coast and the waiting defenders.

Virion gave the signal, the flamboyant duke serious for once. "Ready... Now!"

His line of archers drew their arrows back in one synchronised, fluid motion. A mage stood at the end flicked her wrist, sending a wisp of fire whistling down the line. One by one, in rapid succession, the tips of the arrows lit with a piercing scarlet flame. Again, as one, the archers launched their arrows into the sky. They hung there for a moment, a row of orange stars.

As they fell, chaos spread through the Valmese fleet.

The first wave of their ships were engulfed in flames in seconds, the magical fire that lit the arrows burning through the wood as if it was paper.

"Dear Naga..." Chrom whispered to himself. He had authorised this tactic. When Virion had suggested it, it seemed only like a way to gain a tactical advantage. Now, for the first time, he felt the weight of the thousands of lives he was responsible for.

As the flames finally cleared, it was too late for a second volley. By now, the remainder of the armada were too close to the beach, troops already disembarking.

Before the Valmese could even reach the shore, a row of armoured knights blocked their path like a wall of steel. Trapped between the sea and the knights, they were easy prey for the pegasus riders as they flew overhead and rained javelins on them.

"For Ylisse!" Chrom recognised his wife's voice amongst the chaos. Sumia was yelling defiantly, calling out to her squad of pegasus knights to attack.

However, just as the Valmese seemed to have given up attacking the wall of shields, a blast of flames sent men scattering. A group of mages with fire tomes had gathered, and were creating pillars of fire that sent plumes of black smoke into the sky. The row of knights were reduced to a retreating mess in only a few seconds.

Cheering, the Valmese pressed forwards up the beach. Just as they thought they were going to advance unopposed, one of their mages collapsed, choking and gasping. More and more arrows began to fall on the soldiers, until the air was thick with them.

Desperate, one of their mages tried to use flames to attack the archers, but instead caused flaming arrows to rain on himself and those around him. Virion smirked.

"Keep firing, my archers! For Rosanne! For Ylisse!" He called. His shout seemed to reinvigorate the men, causing them to fire faster.

"Charge! Charge the bastards!" Chrom heard a familiar voice call from one end of the beach. As the Valmese moved out of range of Virion's archers, Sully's cavalry division rushed them, blowing soldiers away in one charge of horses and lances.

Close behind, Stahl's division followed, tearing through the soldiers as they tried to recover from the rest of the cavalry's assault.

"Damn you Ylisseans!" A yell sounded across the battlefield. A giant of a man stood, javelin in hand. He launched it, sending the short spear straight through Sully.

"Sully! No!" Her husband yelled. He swung his horse around, aiming for the man. He lifted another javelin, this time taking aim at Stahl. As it was flung, the cavalier deflected the spear with his blade, and delivered one fatal slice to the Valmese man as he rode by. His target staggered back, feebly pressing his hands to the enormous gash on his chest before collapsing.

Without even waiting for his horse to stop, Stahl leapt off. He landed, falling to his knees in the soft sand.

"...Sully?" He asked softly, taking the redhead in his arms. When she didn't say anything, he grew more frantic. "Sully? Sully!"

"...yeah...?" She managed, a thin crimson trail snaking down from her mouth. "Didn't think I'd die on you, did I? It ain't happening."

Almost crying with relief, Stahl yelled: "Cleric! We need a cleric!"

He gathered her in his arms, and ducked behind a rock for what little shelter it gave. Risking a look over the chaotic battlefield, he spotted one of Libra's clerics hurrying in their direction.

Slowly, Sully pushed herself into a sitting position, one hand pressed to the wound on her shoulder.

"Damn... Bastard got me good, didn't he?" The redhead managed through clenched teeth.

"You're alive. That's the important thing." Stahl said, staring into the distance. "That's all that matters."

"Oh, come on. Thought I'd die 'cause some Valmese guy chucked a pointy stick my way? Not happening. Ever."

The two of them shared a laugh at her bravado. Just as they did, a cleric vaulted over the rock they sheltered behind. He landed in the sand, brushing dark hair out of his eyes.

"Who's hurt?" He asked curtly. Stahl nodded to Sully, who showed the wound. Without another word, the cleric whipped his staff out and focused his attention on the centre of the crimson stain slowly spreading across her chest. In a few seconds, the cavalier was healed.

"Thanks so much." The knight in green called to the cleric. With only a brief nod to acknowledge his thanks, he vaulted over the rock and into the battle once again.

Sully steadily got to her feet, a grin on her face.

"Let's get out there and kick some ass."

The cavalry attacked with renewed vigour. With their two leaders restored, they smashed through enemy lines like an avalanche. Seeing their comrades so empowered made the rest of the army cheer and press forwards onto the Valmese.

Blitzed by swords, javelins, arrows and magic, Walhart's army stood little chance. Some even began to sprint back to the sea, towards the ships, despite the screaming and threats from their commanders.

Chrom felt a rush of pride. His warriors, his people, were beating back this mighty army. Ylisse would not fall!

Suddenly, the yells of the Ylissean soldiers changed. They were no longer the cheers of an army on the brink of victory, but the frantic yells of a retreating force.

Soon enough, Chrom saw why. A platoon of armoured soldiers moved slowly up the beach, crushing through their defences like a glacier on the move. His eyes widened as he saw powerful blows from the Shepherds swatted aside as if they were nothing more than sticks.

Sumia grimaced. Her javelins had no effect on these armoured soldiers, whoever they were.

"Orders, Lady Sumia?" She turned to one of her faithful lieutenants, looking worried in her helmet as she spoke to her superior.

"I..." She started, then stopped. This was no time to appear uncertain. Quickly, she made up her mind. "Stay here. I'll hit them myself."

"A- Are you sure?" The other rider replied incredulously.

Without answering, Sumia pulled a silver lance from her back and aimed down. She commanded her pegasus into a sharp dive, aiming directly for one of the armoured soldiers.

The impact was spectacular.

With an almighty clang, her lance burst through the armour of one soldier, scything deep into him. He slowly collapsed, his armour making a resounding thud as it hit the sand.

Sumia gasped with pain and shock at the impact. It felt like her soulder was dislocated- or worse, broken. Another soldier, seeing his fallen comrade, swung his lance around and cut into her pegasus' wing as they took off again.

The animal's pained whinnies the only sound in her ears, the Exalt stroked her pegasus' neck, coaxing her onward.

"Fall back!" She yelled to her riders. "Fall back!"

As one, they turned in the air and headed back towards the base.

Chrom gritted his teeth. Nothing they did harmed these armoured soldiers. Their leader just kept egging them on, urging them further up the beach, regardless of what attacked them. The young Exalt frowned as a black thought stained his mind.

Could they be stopped?


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello!**

 **First of all- sorry this chapter's so late! College and coursework pretty much took over my spare time this week and kinda killed my motivation. I'm still committed to getting chapters up on time, but sometimes stuff gets in the way. Hope you enjoy the chapter anyway!**

 **As always, remember to review, follow, or favourite if you like this story.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 8

"Fire!" Yelled Miriel. On her command, her team of mages raised their hands and tomes, and sent a blistering barrage of magic towards the enemy. A wave of fire, lightning, and wind sliced and smashed through their ranks, even bursting through the thick armour worn by these new Valmese soldiers.

"Lord Cervantes!" One of the armoured men called. The commander swivelled his head in the soldier's direction. "What are your orders?"

"What are my orders?" Cervantes roared. "My orders are for you to use your damn mind! Retaliate with the javelins!"

With that, he took a short spear in his hand, wound one mighty arm back, and let the javelin fly. Barely even slowing, it flew straight through one of Miriel's mages and buried itself in the sand a few feet behind him. The mage who was hit crumpled to the ground, killed instantly by the power of the attack.

Even as two of their own fell to the mages' renewed attack, Cervantes' platoon quickly grabbed their javelins and took aim. In a single volley, six mages fell.

"No!" One mage sprinted towards the enemy, tears streaming from her eyes. Miriel tried to stop her pointless charge, but was shoved to the side.

"You killed him, you bastards! You killed my husband!"

Before any of the Valmese could react, her impassioned blast of flames at close range burned a gaping hole clean through a soldier. Another tried to retaliate, but only managed to land a cut across her cheek before he too was struck down.

In the middle of her third spell, she stopped suddenly. Cervantes withdrew his axe from her back, gesturing for his soldiers to continue their advance before she had even hit the ground.

Miriel could only stare in horror at her fallen comrades. Her senses snapped back to the battle as the enemy moved closer. She couldn't afford to lose.

"Hold your ground!" She yelled to the rest of her team. "Let none of them pass!"

With renewed force, she blasted the enemy. However, just as soon as the retaliation started, another wave of javelins cut it short. More mages fell. One soldier yelled something, but it was lost in the din of battle.

"What!?" Miriel called.

"Fall back!" The soldier shouted back. "By the order of Exalt Chrom, fall back!"

Her mages looked to their commander, waiting for her verdict. As much as she wanted to stand and fight, she couldn't keep losing mages like this. With a wave of her hand, Miriel commanded her troops to retreat. Carrying their wounded, they ran for the medical tents.

Once again unopposed, Cervantes' troops continued their advance.

Chrom strapped the Falchion to his back, his face a grim mask.

"Milord, I beg you to reconsider!" Frederick pleaded once again.

"I can't. I'm sorry, old friend." The young Exalt stood and made his way to the door. "I'm not letting anyone else die at Cervantes' hands."

"But does it have to be you?" The knight gestured at the blue-haired man.

"Of course it does." He replied, determined. "I'm the leader of this country. Plus, the Falchion should be able to slice through their armour."

"I'm not letting you go alone, you know."

Chrom turned to see Sumia, just poking her head into the tent.

"Yes! Thank you, my lady." Frederick sighed with relief. "See, milord? You can't-"

"I'm coming with you, of course."

Chrom smiled. His wife's strength astounded him yet again. As the tall knight fretted about them, the royal couple headed out to battle.

Soon, they were face to face with Cervantes.

"The Exalt himself!" The big man laughed. "I feel honoured to have the chance to slay you!"

Coolly, Chrom drew the Falchion.

"We'll see who slays who, won't we?"

"Such bravado! I like it!" The Valmese general guffawed. "But I know you'll lose. See, I've had this magnificent moustache ever since I started as a lowly foot soldier, and I've never lost! Therefore, my 'stache brings victory. It's science, boy! Science!"

Chrom paused for a second, taken aback by the man's bizarre logic. Fortunately, Sumia stepped in for him.

"Well, we'll just have to give you a nice close shave, won't we?" She retorted fiercely.

"You'll never get the chance!" Cervantes yelled, gesturing for his men to attack. "Charge! Whoever kills the Exalt will be highly rewarded by Walhart himself!"

The first two men that attacked were already wounded. One walked with a limp, while the other had one arm that was strangely lifeless. Chrom easily parried the limping man's clumsy lunge, striking at his head. As predicted, the Falchion cut through his armour like it was no more than paper. Slowly, the man fell, his armour making a soft thud as it hit the sand.

The other attacked as his comrade fell, but his one-handed axe swing lacked power. Sumia deflected it with her lance, before stabbing at his face. The blow clattered against the helmet, sending sparks flying from the faceplate. He staggered back, blinded and stunned from the deafening noise. Swiftly, before he could recover, Chrom struck, running the soldier through. Exactly the same as the last one, he fell.

The lance came out of nowhere. Only the Exalt's trained reflexes allowed him to dodge out of the way, rolling in the sand to avoid the blow. He leapt to his feet, facing his attacker. Cervantes, with his last two men at his side, continued to advance on Chrom. The swordsman lunged forwards, slicing the handle of one of their spears in half. Before the soldier could think to draw another weapon, he was cut down by Chrom.

A crash echoed out from behind him. Sumia had swooped down at the other soldier, the impact of her spear on the armour resounding across the beach. As she tried to pull her lance free, the Valmese soldier drew his axe back for an attack.

"Sumia!"

Her husband leapt forwards, slicing the lance in half, freeing Sumia. Despite his efforts to block, Chrom was a fraction too slow. The massive axe only landed a glancing blow on his shoulder, but it was enough to knock him off his feet. Grinning, assured of victory, the soldier advanced with his axe raised.

"No! Father!"

The shout rang out across the battlefield. A figure in blue leapt in front of Chrom, sword raised. Marth deflected the soldier's weapon with her own blade, before gracefully moving in and cutting his opponent down.

Cervantes eyed this new opponent warily. She seemed to have a sword equal to the Exalt's own, and was clearly skilled. Shield raised, he gripped his axe.

Without hesitation, Marth struck. The Valmese general blocked with the shield, but the mysterious swordswoman simply applied more force, and the defence was cleaved in two. Pressing her advantage, the blue-haired fighter advanced on Cervantes, striking at him mercilessly. His axe dipped low in his exhaustion, leaving his head open. Just as quickly as before, Marth sliced at his exposed head.

He was ready this time.

As she struck, his axe came up sharply. Seeing the weapon from the corner of her eye, the swordswoman tried to twist out of its way, but couldn't move in time. She staggered back, clutching at her bloodied shoulder. Grinning, the Valmese general advanced on her. As he brought the axe down, Marth flung herself out of the way. She came up swinging, lashing at Cervantes with her blade. He could only retreat under her furious assault.

Finally, she rushed towards him. In a futile attempt to block, the heavily armoured man raised his axe. The ferocious swordswoman simply cut through the handle of the axe and towards its owner's head.

At last, Cervantes fell.

"Ah... I suppose..." He gasped. "I wasn't... As invincible... As I thought... Hah..."

Turning away, Marth started to leave.

"Hold it!" An armoured hand clasped her shoulder. Sumia stood behind her, giving her an odd look. "Why... Why did you just call Chrom 'Father'?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello!**

 **Sorry that this chapter is so late! I've had practice exams recently, so I've had very little time and enthusiasm for other stuff. Thankfully, they're over now, and I'll definitely be writing more often.**

 **Make sure to follow and favourite if you enjoy this fic, and tell me your thoughts in a review. For now...**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 9

"So, tactician. I've heard that you're some kind of tactical genius, at least if the others you travel with are to be believed." Vera turned to him. "Do you have a plan?"

"Hmm..." Kit mused. He'd been inspecting their forces all day, and couldn't see any situation on a battlefield that they could win. Then inspiration had hit. "Yes. There is a plan. If you'll allow me to be brutally honest, there's no way your force here could face Walhart's army one-on-one."

Seeing the bemused, even irritated expressions of the rest of the Generals' faces, he continued: "However, if we avoid an all-out battle, we might be able to win. Stealth will be the key. In small groups, we move towards Walhart's palace, and strike."

"Interesting." Hattori said, softly and thoughtfully. "Your plan certainly has merit."

"Maybe... This plan's all about trickin' Walhart, yeah?" Llumold grinned. "Why don't some of our soldiers stay here, and make the big guy think that we're still here? Would that work?"

Kit considered it for a second, surprised at the man's cunning. "That really could work. That makes this plan even better."

"Rule One of hiding, man." The Feroxi replied. "If they're looking in the wrong place, they'll never find ya!"

Again, the tactician glanced at the map.

"So... If we leave about a third of our forces here... That should give us enough to pull off the assassination of Walhart when we all meet up at a point near the palace."

"Wait!" Adeine cut in. The graceful archer turned to Kit. "Should we leave one of the Generals here? That way, the illusion of our whole army being here is strengthened."

"Good idea." He agreed. "But... Who will stay?" The four Generals shifted uneasily at the question.

"I will." Hattori decided eventually. "And if any of Walhart's men attack the camp, they will feel my blade."

Kit hardly paid attention to their deliberations. He was staring intently at the map, scouring the land around Walhart's palace, looking for a point that would work as a base. It had to be concealed, but recognisable. Defensible, yet accessible.

Eventually, his eye settled on a place.

"Here!" He announced, bringing his quill down on one point and sketching a quick ring around it.

"Here what?" Llumold turned.

"Our meeting point." He explained. "It's a very disctinctive location, fairly close to Walhart, and we could use the nearby village to hide if we need to."

Hattori turned to him. "You wish to use the Mila Tree as your meeting point?" Kit nodded. "You do know the legends, don't you?" At the tactician's silence, he continued: "They say that a powerful dragon, the Voice of Naga herself, lives there. Ask Say'ri. I'm certain she can tell you more."

"Wait." Vera frowned, suddenly realising something. "How are we going to get to the Mila Tree? Pretty sure Walhart's gonna notice our army."

Kit smiled. He'd already thought of this, knowing that they'd need some way to conceal their advance across the continent.

"We move in small groups, in disguise." He explained. "Teams of five, maybe ten. If we dress as farmers or merchants or something, the whole army can move silently.

Adeine nodded her approval of the plan.

"It's settled then. Llumold, inform the troops. We begin tomorrow."

"How do I look?" Kit stepped out of the tent, with the signature ragged brown clothes and wide straw hat of a Chon'sin farmer. Say'ri had told him that the disguise would make him look like a 'typical peasant'- the perfect way to avoid notice. Lissa was dressed similarly, with a frock of a similar shade of brown and her own hat.

"Still handsome!" She laughed. "What do you think of my new dress?"

Smiling with her, Kit replied: "Not sure if the colour suits you, honestly."

As both of them laughed, they heard another voice.

"Well, aren't you a happy couple of farmers!" Gaius, still chewing on some fudge, appeared. Like the two of them, he had put on the peasant disguise that Say'ri had supplied. As the others appeared, voices could be heard from Lon'qu and Cordelia's tent.

"Go on! You can't just stay in here forever!"

"Ugh... Fine."

The swordsman stepped out, Kit couldn't help but stare. He was dressed in a knee-length robe of a vivid purple, with loose, baggy sleeves that reached only to his elbows. His swords were on his back, and his short black hair was tied up in a knot on top of his head.

"What... What are you wearing?" Ricken asked, staring at the bizarre clothing.

"It's a kimono." Lon'qu answered. "The usual clothing of fighters and the wealthy in Chon'sin."

"Our cover story is that Lon'qu is the bodyguard to a wealthy person." Cordelia explained. "That's why we're carrying weapons."

"Good thinking." Kit nodded. "With that sorted, let's go, shall we?"

They were one of the first groups to leave. With Say'ri at the front, playing the part of the wealthy noble, the rest of them sat in the back of the carriage. Once everything was in place, they set out into enemy territory, hoping their plan would work.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello!**

 **Hope you're all looking forward to this chapter! Now that college life is back to normal, my upload schedule should be back to normal again, so weekly uploads are a thing again!**

 **Special thanks to Abide for following and**

 **protoomegavox for favouriting.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 10

"The Mila Tree?" Say'ri asked, looking over at Kit. "Certainly. I spent some time there after Walhart invaded my homeland. The tree is the home of Tiki, the Divine Dragon, daughter of Naga herself."

The Shepherds' eyes widened at such a revelation.

"I... I can't believe it." Lissa whispered, her usual tomboyish attitude gone. "A blood relative of Naga? Amazing..."

"That certainly is something of true wonder." Panne added.

Kit looked thoughtful for a moment. He wondered if this daughter of Naga could be persuaded to help them, but even meeting such a person sounded like a rare event.

After a moment of awed silence, Ricken spoke up.

"So... Where are we headed?" He asked. "Straight for the Mila Tree?"

Kit's eyes lit up. Lissa knew that expression- he had a plan.

"Not straight there, no." He replied. "We'll be making one or two stops along the way. A few teams will be stopping off at certain large, important towns... And retake them from Walhart."

"You finally gone nuts, man?" Gaius grinned. "In case you can't count, Bubbles, there's ten of us. There's gonna be at least a hundred of Walhart's men in these larger cities."

Kit grimaced at the teasing. "Yeah, yeah. We're not going to take them head on- did you think I was dumb enough to make a plan like that?"

"Coulda fooled me."

The rest of the team laughed at the thief's quip, while Kit shrugged helplessly, a wide grin on his face.

"Anyway, the plan is to quickly and covertly take down the soldiers, avoid direct confrontation, and liberate the towns." He explained.

As the others nodded their agreement, Olivia spoke up.

"Uhm... I'm not really a fighter..." She offered shyly. "Where... Where do I fit into this plan of yours?"

Kit nodded. "I know you're not a fighter, but I've seen your dances." She blushed. "They invigorate people. Our troops will definitely need that." The tactician looked around at everyone. "Is the plan clear? Good. Get some rest- it'll be a few hours before we reach our destination."

Lon'qu lay back, crossing his arms behind his head. He could still feel every bump, every ridge in the road beneath him as the wheels thunked and clattered down the road, but ignored them.

"How you feeling?" Cordelia asked, sitting next to him.

"Fine." He replied shortly. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I don't know." The pegasus knight smiled. "Just thought something about heading straight into enemy territory and taking on forces that hugely outnumber us might unnerve you."

Lon'qu laughed. "You've got a point." He admitted. "I've been in worse situations, though. Once, a few years ago, it was just me and Basilio against twenty assassins, all armed to the teeth."

Cordelia whistled. "That must have been some fight."

"You have no idea. According to Basilio, the two of us tore down a whole building."

The two of them shared a short chuckle at the memory of the boisterous khan and his often embellished war stories.

"Something's on your mind." Lon'qu observed, as his wife stared out into the distance. She sighed.

"It's just... This whole thing... It brings back memories of the war with Plegia." Cordelia admitted. "I can't help it. And I... I don't know what's going to happen this time. Can we really fight a war without an army?"

"I don't know." Lon'qu frowned. "Kit seems to think so. All we can do is trust him, I suppose."

"Yeah..." The redhead sighed. "I just don't fancy our odds."

The swordsman slowly sat up and embraced her.

"You've got me." He reassured. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Cordelia kissed him, her doubts vanishing already.

Eventually, they reached the village they were heading for. All of the buildings were grand, with intricate decoration and beautiful ornamentation. The streets were polished, and the people all seemed to be in noble garb. Despite the crowds, however, there was no life to the town. Everyone moved slowly and silently, occasionally glancing towards the red-armoured guards on every street corner.

One guard stared at the group as they went past. Kit felt an irrational flash of fear. Did the guard know? Were they already found out? After a few seconds, though, his gaze moved on and the group breathed a sigh of relief.

Eventually, they found an inn. The team looked out of place in such luxurious surroundings. Say'ri strode over to the counter.

"A room for one, please. And another for my servants." She gestured to the rest of the group.

"Certainly, ma'am."

They were swiftly directed to rooms, all of the 'servants' given one room while Say'ri stepped into her own.

"There aren't even enough beds here!" Nowi complained.

"That's fine by me." Gaius grinned. "I'm sure there's a few people who'd be fine to share."

Smiling and optimistic, they settled in for some rest, many of them choosing to share a bed with their spouses.

"Trouble sleeping?" Lissa whispered, trying not to wake the others.

"I'm pretty nervous." Kit replied softly. "We're in enemy territory, trying to take back an entire continent. And I... I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if we can win this time."

"I know you can." His wife reassured him, planting a kiss on his lips. "You're the smartest person I know. If anyone can do it, you can."

"You think so?" The tactician smiled, gently stroking her cheek.

"I know it." She nodded. "Now get some sleep. Even geniuses need rest, you know."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello!**

 **I'm back! Sorry about the long wait, but a lot of college stuff all seemed to happen at once, and so I didn't have a ton of motivation to write. Sorry! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the fic as a whole.**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 11

"What are we waiting for?" Nowi asked impatiently. They'd been staying at the inn two days now, and only been focusing on not drawing any attention.

"In a few days, a week at most, all the teams will be in position." Kit replied. "We need to move quickly, striking at every one of the six major towns at around the same time, or Walhart will be able to counter our efforts. Once we get the signal from Adeine, then we strike."

The team nodded their understanding.

"Until then..." The tactician sat back. "We lie low and wait."

"What's that you got there?"Gaius asked, gesturing to the paper in Kit's hand.

"Just a message from Chrom." He lay it out on the table. "I got it earlier."

It read:

'Kit,

Our first encounter with Valmese forces has ended in victory. Many Shepherds were injured, but thankfully none were killed. During the battle, the mysterious Marth reappeared. Now that she appears to be staying around, I mean to ask more about her. Any suggestions? Send word when you are able.

Chrom.'

"Keeps it brief, doesn't he?" Lon'qu observed.

"You're a fine one to talk!" Gaius laughed. "When you do talk, that is."

As the Shepherds laughed, Kit pulled a roll of parchment and a quill from a drawer. After a moment's thought, he began to scribble down his reply.

"Gaius... I'm really not sure about this." The tactician grimaced. "Is... Isn't this illegal?"

"Don't worry, Bubbles." Gaius smirked. "It's nothin' major. Besides, you wanna learn stealth, don't you?"

Kit nodded, still uncertain about the thief's choice of practice.

"Follow my lead, 'kay?" Slowly, the ginger man began to move down the street, drawing no attention to himself. As he moved past one woman, his hand darted to her pocket in a flash. Before she noticed a thing, a few coins vanished into Gaius' pocket.

A few metres down the street, he did the same to a wealthy-looking man. With a familiar smirk, he turned to Kit, flipping a gold coin in the air before catching it again.

Finally, close to the end of the street, his hand shot out again. This time, instead of coins, he held up the chunk of fudge he'd snatched from a passing merchant. With a jaunty wave, he beckoned that tactician to follow his lead.

For a moment, Kit wrestled with his conscience. Was it right to steal from these people? He _was_ learning skills that would be essential for liberating the town. But... Was it really okay?

He eventually decided to only steal from those who were wealthy, who did not need all the money they had.

With a deep breath, he strode down the street. Covertly, he examined his 'targets'. Finally, his eye settled on a richly-dressed man, clearly flaunting his wealth. As he walked past, Kit slid a hand into the man's pocket and closed his fingers around a few coins, imitating Gaius' smooth motion. He quickly secreted his ill-gotten coins in his own pouch.

At the end of the street, he could see the professional thief giving him a thumbs-up. With new confidence, the tactician selected his next target.

As he scanned the crowd again, he noticed another wealthy-looking woman strutting down the street, clearly eager to show off her status. Kit moved towards her surreptitiously. Moving past her slowly, he dipped a hand into her pocket and started to move on.

Unfortunately, she chose that moment to lean forwards, inspecting a merchant's goods. The tactician felt his hand catch in the pocket. She turned towards him.

After a frozen moment, she yelled, "Thief!"

Turning to the nearby guards, she called out again.

"Stop! Thief!"

"Run!" Gaius called from the end of the street. Kit complied, joining the ginger man in sprinting down the street. Turning, the tactician could see that the guards were not far behind them.

"Left!" The professional thief quickly swerved into a narrow alley. As the tactician rushed to join him, he saw Gaius climbing the wall.

"Move it, Bubbles!" Spurred by the urgency in his voice, Kit began to climb next to him. Within a few seconds, they hauled themselves onto the rooftops.

"People don't usually look up here." The ginger-haired man assured quietly.. "But still... We should get moving. C'mon!"

The two of them started to move across the rooftops, heading slowly for their inn.

They made it back to the inn without another incident. Sighing with relief, Kit closed the door of their room behind him and locked it.

"How'd your 'stealth training' go?" Lissa asked, walking over to him and smirking. "Steal anything good?"

The tactician laughed. "Not really. I didn't manage to pick many pockets. We... I... Got found out and chased halfway across town by guards."

"What!?" Cordelia stared at him. "Did they follow you here? Do they know what we're doing here?"

"Relax." Gaius called. "We lost 'em easily. They don't know anythin'."

"That's a relief." The pegasus knight smiled.

"So... How'd it go?" Lissa asked curiously.

"He's got talent." The thief admitted. "He's decent now. With a bit more practice though..." He smirked. "He'd almost be as good as me!"

As the Shepherds laughed, there was a knock at the door.

Kit, still smiling, opened it to see Ricken sprint in holding some kind of letter.

"Got... Letter..." He gasped.

"You okay, Ricken?" Nowi's worried face peered at him.

"Sprinted... All the... Way here..." He managed, holding the letter out to the tactician. As the manakete fussed over her boyfriend, Kit sliced open the letter. His eyes widened.

"What is it?" Lissa moved close to him, looking worried. "Has something happened?"

"No, nothing's happened." Kit eventually said. "It's from Adeine... It's the signal to begin the attack."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello!**

 **Sorry this chapter's a bit late, but it just took a while to write. Sorry again! Hope this one was worth the wait.**

 **Special thanks to dragoon109 for following.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 12

Stahl slumped down on a bench. It had been a trying day. Even after Sully had been healed, she still needed to be taken to the sick bay for rest and recovery. He'd hardly stopped worrying about her.

Next to him, he saw Libra sit down wearily.

"H-How's Sully doing?" The green knight asked apprehensively.

"She's fine." The cleric replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "As healthy as ever."

Already reassured, Stahl turned to the rest of the Shepherds entering the barracks. Miriel sat down, staring distractedly off into the distance. Just behind her as she entered, Vaike was unusually solemn. He, too, seemed eerily quiet. Only Gregor seemed the same. The mercenary was happily chatting to Vaike, oblivious to the warrior's unusually subdued attitude.

"Everyone okay?" Stahl asked, worried. "Did... Did someone..." He trailed off.

"N-No. None of the Shepherds." Vaike said flatly. "It's just... That was one hell of a battle. I need some time to get my head together after all that."

Miriel slowly nodded her agreement, still silent.

The green knight looked at their weary, beaten down expressions, sympathy written all over his face.

"I... I know what you mean. But... At least everyone's alive." Stahl said, hoping to raise everyone's mood. It didn't seem to do anything. Still fretting over his wife, he stood.

"I- I'm going to see Sully. I'll be back soon, guys."

Slowly, he left the almost silent tent.

Sumia sat down, holding her daughter in her arms. Marth sat opposite her, obviously uncomfortable. When she looked at the tiny child in the Queen's arms, her eyes widened and a strange expression crossed her face.

"So, Marth..." The pegasus knight began. "Like I asked earlier... Why did you call Chrom 'Father'?"

The mysterious swordswoman avoided her gaze.

"You... You wouldn't believe me. No-one would."

"I've seen some pretty fantastic things in my lifetime." Sumia reassured. "Whatever your story is, it can't be that unbelievable."

"...Where do I start...?" Marth gestured helplessly. "I... I don't... There's too much to tell."

"Start _right_ at the beginning. Don't leave a single important thing out." The Queen ordered. "I read stories all the time, so I'm sure I can listen to all you have to say."

"Okay." Marth took a deep breath. "In the future, years from now, a Plegian deity named Grima takes over the world. He possesses the body of a tactician, a close friend of Chrom, and uses him to defeat the Shepherds' strongest warriors. He became the ultimate weapon. That, combined with the hordes of Risen, made Grima unstoppable. Quickly, the world descended into chaos, with that dragon ruling over it." She took a deep breath, the memory still painful. "The Divine Dragon Naga, in response to this threat, decided that the only way to save the world was to avert the tragedy before it could begin. She gathered the children of the Shepherds, scattered across Ylisse, and sent them back in time to save everyone- everything. The reason I call Chrom 'Father'..."

Sumia's eyes were wide. "Y-You're saying... You're actually... M-My daughter? Lucina?"

Lucina nodded.

"Look... I have the Brand in my eye." She leaned closer to show her mother the proof. "And Father's Falchion."

The pegasus knight sat back, shocked and surprised by the unexpected events.

"But that means..." She stared down at the tiny baby in her arms.

"Yes." Lucina nodded tearfully. "Th-That's me."

"Oh... Why are you crying?" Sumia asked, concerned.

"It's just... I've not seen you in so many years..." The princess sniffed. "Seeing you again... I..."

The Queen leaned forwards and wrapped one arm around her daughter from the future, her younger self cradled in the other arm. She held her for a long time, until the tears stopped.

"But Milord, you _can't!_ " Frederick protested. "I've told you! You can't trust Plegia!"

"I know, Frederick." Chrom replied tersely. "But we have no other choice. Valm probably has more armoured soldiers, and we don't have enough mages at all."

The knight sighed in resignation, deferring to the Exalt. He continued to write letters- one requesting help from Ferox, the other from Plegia. After a long, awkward silence, the Exalt finally spoke again.

"Look... I know. I don't like the idea of working with Plegia any more than you do. But... I've got no choice. We've got no choice."

"I see, milord." Frederick nodded understandingly. "It just... Feels wrong to place our age-old enemies in such a position of trust."

"I know, old friend." Chrom sighed. "I know."

"Milord! Not interrupting, am I?" Virion strode in, a pigeon on one shoulder. "A message has arrived from Kit." He held out a rolled-up length of parchment. The Exalt unrolled it and read.

'Chrom,

I am happy to hear that none of the Shepherds were killed in the battle with Valm. With any luck, you shall not have to fend off the invaders much longer, though I would not bet against a second assault. We will move as swiftly as we are able in order to stop this threat.

-Kit

PS- Ask Marth about her past- specifically, where she got that Falchion...'

Chrom handed the letter to Frederick, who quickly scanned it.

"Take that to my quarters, would you? I'll write up a reply later." The Exalt requested.

"Certainly, milord." The knight headed off down a corridor. Sighing wearily, Chrom returned to asking everyone he could to aid Ylisse in its time of need.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello!**

 **Sorry this chapter's both late and short, but I just had a hard time trying to make it into a long chapter. Sorry again! Hope you're all still enjoying the fic anyway. Thanks for reading!**

 **Onwards!**

Chapter 13

Chrom sighed. He'd surveyed, checked, and questioned the new Plegian recruits all day. They all seemed fine, but something still bothered him. He knew he just felt uneasy because of the war with Plegia, still fresh in the Shepherds' minds, but he still couldn't shake the feeling. Sighing again, he dismissed his suspicions as an old thought, still clinging on from two years ago.

Still, despite his apprehension, the Exalt had to admit that Plegia's forces were impressive. Rows and rows of dark mages, all stood to attention, in line with the rest of the Shepherds' forces. At the head of the cohort of mages stood a slim, attractive woman named Tharja, apparently their strongest mage. She stared forwards, a bored expression on her face, fidgeting with some of her long, dark hair.

Chrom dismissed the massed forces, warning them to prepare for the next attack from Valm. With a salute, the large group disbanded.

"Milord." Frederick bowed as the Exalt entered. "I have deep misgivings about these new Plegian recruits..."

"I know." The blue-haired man nodded. "Something seems off about them. But... I don't know if that's just an old prejudice, or if there really is something going on here."

"Precisely, sir." The tall knight replied.

"The only real option is to wait and see." Chrom grimaced. "And I don't like that a lot."

He left, still troubled.

"So... It's all true? Every word of it?" Sumia asked again, an astonished look on her face.

Lucina nodded distractedly. She held her younger self in her arms, a strange expression on her face.

"It isn't just me, either." The future Exalt continued. "Most of the Shepherds' children came back in time to avert our future."

"...Incredible..." The Queen breathed, still astonished. "I... I can hardly believe it, honestly." She admitted. "But... The evidence is right here in front of me."

"I know it sounds crazy." Lucina admitted. "But... You have to trust me. It's the only way to save the future."

Soon after, Chrom entered.

"Found anything out?" He asked, with a glance at 'Marth'.

Sumia nodded. "It's... Going to take a while to explain. Come and sit down, dear."


End file.
